Grandfather's advice, guides Apisalome to graduate in England

For Apisalome Naqasima, success is not measured by medals or titles, but by the family he has built and the values that carried him from Suva to the United Kingdom. 

The 47-year-old British Army veteran, born and raised in Suva, served 24 years in the military before retiring in 2024. 

He hails from Lawai Village in Nadroga, with maternal links to Naboutini, Saqani in Cakaudrove. 

This month, Mr Naqasima graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Logistics Management from the University of Lincoln in England, while also pursuing a second degree in Business Management. 

“My achievements are not just mine,” he said with emotion.

“They belong to my wife and children, who have sacrificed so much alongside me.” 

Behind his success is a story of resilience.

As a boy in the 1990s, he faced the lure of alcohol and drugs.

“It was everywhere,” he recalled. 

“But my grandmother’s Jehovah’s Witness faith kept me strong.

"I learned to say no and I realized that sometimes you have to be different to survive.” 

He still carries the words of his grandfather, a doctor and his namesake.

Na tagane dina e dau duri duadua, which meant “a true man often stands alone”. 

“That advice guided me through the army, through my studies and even as a father,” Mr Naqasima said. 

Now serving as a Custody Detention Officer with Warwickshire Police and as an Army Reservist, he has his eyes on Fiji’s future.

“In 2026, I want to give back to my country,” he said. 

“If my story inspires even one young Fijian to pursue education, resist temptation and believe in himself or herself, then it’s all worth it.” 

Feedback: raqiri.turner@fijisun.com.fj